كَانُواthey wereإِذَاwhenمُدِحُواpraised
When they were praised
أَرْوَوْاthey showedمَاwhatفِيهِمْis in them
they showed what is in them
فَالْأَرِيحِيَّةُso generosityمِنْهُمْfrom themبِمَكَانِis in a place
so generosity from them is well-established.
وَالْمَدْحُand praiseيَقْدَحُignitesقَلْبَthe heart ofمَنْhe whoهُوَhe isأَهْلُهُworthy of it
And praise ignites the heart of he who is worthy of it
قَدْحَlike the igniting ofالْمَوَاعِظِadmonitionsقَلْبَin the heart ofذِيpossessor ofإِيمَانِfaith
like the igniting of admonitions in the heart of the faithful.
فَدَعِso leaveاللِّئَامَthe ignoble ones
So leave the ignoble ones
فَمَاfor there is notثَوَابُrewardمَدِيحِهِمْof praising them
for the reward of praising them
إِلَّاexceptثَوَابَthe reward ofعِبَادَةِworshippingالْأَوْثَانِidols
is only the reward of worshipping idols.
كَمْhow manyقَائِلٍa speakerلِيto meمِنْهُمُamong them
How many a speaker to me among them
وَمَدَحْتُهُwhile I praised him
while I praised him
بِمَدَائِحَwith praisesمِثْلِlikeالرِّيَاضِgardensحِسَانِbeautiful
with beautiful praises like gardens.
أَحْسَنْتَyou have done wellوَيْحَكَwoe to youلَيْسَit is notفِيَّin me
You have done well, woe to you, it is not in me
وَإِنَّمَاand ratherأَسْتَحْسِنُI praiseالْحَسَنَاتِgood deedsفِيinمِيزَانِthe scale
rather I am praising good deeds in the scale.
وَأَنْشَدَنِيand recited to meأَبُوAbuهَفَّانَHaffanبَسِيطُBasit
And Abu Haffan recited to me in the Basit meter:
لَاdo notتَعْجَبُواwonderأَنْthatتَرَوْنِيyou see meبَيْنَamongأَظْهُرِكُمْyou
Do not wonder that you see me among you
أَمْشِيwalkingوَيَرْكَبُwhile ridesقَوْمٌa peopleمَاwhoهُمْtheyأُحَدَاanyone
walking while people who are nothing ride.
لَئِنْifعَلَاrisesالسَّادَةُthe mastersالْأَحْرَارُthe freeسَفَلْتُهَاits base ones
If the free masters are raised over its base ones
إِنَّindeedالْغُثَاءَthe scumلِيَعْلُواrises aboveالْمَاءَthe waterوَالزَّبَدَand the foam
indeed the scum rises above the water and the foam.
قَالَhe saidوَلَقِيتُand I metإِسْمَاعِيلَIsmailبْنَson ofبُلْبُلَBulbulيَوْماًone day
He said: And I met Ismail bin Bulbul one day
وَهُوَwhile he wasرَاجِلٌwalking on footفَقُلْتُso I saidمَالِيwhat is wrong with meأَرَاكَthat I see youرَاجِلاًwalking on foot
while he was walking on foot, so I said: Why do I see you walking on foot?
فَقَالَso he saidمُخَلَّعُMukhalla'الْبَسِيطِAl-Basit
So he said, in Mukhalla' Al-Basit:
أَرْجَلَنِيmade me walk on footقِلَّةُthe scarcity ofالْكِرَامِthe noble
The scarcity of the noble made me walk on foot
وَكَثْرَةُand the abundance ofالْمَالِwealthفِيinاللِّئَامِthe ignoble
and the abundance of wealth in the hands of the ignoble.